Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Are We Exploring Space? (was Re: Fourth Shuttle?)
Message-ID: <1989Dec15.214030.27234@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <6795@shlump.nac.dec.com> <1989Dec12.022557.6690@utzoo.uucp> <14990@bfmny0.UU.NET> <1989Dec13.044849.12140@utzoo.uucp> <14994@bfmny0.UU.NET>
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 89 21:40:30 GMT

In article <14994@bfmny0.UU.NET> tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes:
>The notion of "exploration" that says human bootprints are all that
>count is essentially antique...

Ah, here we have the heart of the matter.  I'm afraid I qualify as an
antique, then:  I cling to the notion that studying an island from afar,
exploring it, and gathering data for a paper on its beetle population
are three distinct activities, and the first and third should not be
called "exploration".  The first is reasonable preparation for exploration;
the third is a common activity in areas that have been explored.  NASA,
in its ceaseless drive to round up public support, has slapped the phrase
"space exploration" on almost anything that takes place in space.  I
prefer a less sloppy definition.

>In the 80's, American and Soviet manned exploration of space was
>confined to building infrastructure...

What do you mean, "American and Soviet"?  The Soviets are the only ones
who have been building infrastructure.  I can't think of a single item
of progress on infrastructure by the US in this decade.  Unless you're
being picky enough to count the shuttle's transition from "almost ready
to fly occasionally" to "flying occasionally" quite early in the decade.

>Everyone seems to want to kick Moondust around, but I notice very few
>proposals to send human crews on a Solar Polar mission or out to explore
>the heliopause!

Probably because we're still trying to get back to the point where we can
kick moondust around... :-(

>Any volunteers for a personal visit to the source of
>the Cosmic Background radiation?? ...

If we're allowed to make a few stops for sightseeing along the way, you
betcha! :-)  When did you develop your faster-than-light drive?  (Being
polite, I assume that Tom wouldn't call for volunteers unless he had a
way to carry out the trip. ;-))
-- 
1755 EST, Dec 14, 1972:  human |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
exploration of space terminates| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu